Question: Newbie needs help...

[brightonmom]

We put our axie in his new tank tonight on sand for the first time and he started gulping the sand then kinda freaking out while spitting sand everywhere! We took him out and put him back in his tank with no substrate.

Also, for the last few weeks, he has been pooping only once a week! Mondays are his days and they are nearly the size of his torso. Here it is Wednesday and he hasn't pooped for 9 days! Is that why he is eating the sand?????

He is feed live blackworms and frozen blood worms and is about 5 or 6 inches long. We got him as a baby (inch and a half) end of October.

Thanks for your help!

 

[Kaysie]

Switch him to earthworms.

The gulping of the sand is probably just an artifact of it being 'new', and it's hungry. An animal that size should be on bigger food.

 

[brightonmom]

Thanks for the reply!

He has certainly gotten bigger faster than we thought he would. We started feeding him pieces of earthworm at the time he started pooping less frequently. I had thought maybe that was part of the problem. Now that you mention it, it makes sense that he should be eating something bigger.

How big of pieces should I cut them into?

Can't thank you and the others of the forum enough for your help. I have never had a pet that was so obscure and hard to learn about. Your experience is so valuable and I appreciate your willingness to share it.

Thanks again.

 

[Kaysie]

If he's a good feeder, he can probably take half a nightcrawler without any problem. Feed him half of one 3 or 4 times a week.

Poop once a week is in the normal range.